The travel agent who conducted an international orchestra
NewsThe NY Times has a nice obit for Martin Dreiwitz, founder of the Long Island Youth Orchestra, which he conducted in Greece, Kenya, the Seychelles, India, Sri Lanka and Israel.
Dreiwitz’s day job was running a travel agency.
He founded the orchestra in 1962 and led it for 50 years. More than 4,000 children followed his baton in that time.
Dreiwitz died two weeks ago, aged 91.
I was a member of the Long Island Youth Orchestra 1971-74. Martin’s leadership, vision, and support were significant in my (and numerous others’) growth as a musician and human. He will be dearly missed.
Wow. I didn’t know him, or about him. But I know his type; they are everywhere in America, developing musicians and citizens. Sometimes amazingly good musicians operating well under the headlines, but making music meaningful in peoples’ lives. That’s a life well lived, one that touched so many others.
Beautifully said!
He invited me to join when I was a high school senior but I was already playing with another youth orchestra on Long Island and didn’t have the time for both.
He was a legend and a kind of personality we hardly see anymore.
He must have loved the orchestra to have deserted every relative he had for the past 50+ years. Good for him but we didn’t shed a tear when we heard.